Vending machine method and apparatus for encouraging participation in a marketing effort

ABSTRACT

A vending machine method and apparatus are disclosed for encouraging vending machine customers to review a marketing promotion or to participate in a survey while making a purchase. Customers are immediately rewarded for providing responses about the marketing promotion that was previously presented or their preferences or opinions. The reward may be, for example, a supplementary product, a discount on the customer&#39;s current purchase or a subsequent purchase, or a rebate. The vending machine ensures that it contains sufficient currency and products to meet the requirements of all active reward offers. The vending machine ensures that buyers are committed to making a purchase, before offering a reward to a customer. Unscrupulous customers are discouraged from using repeatedly participating in a marketing promotion, merely to collect rewards or influence the results of a survey. The marketing promotion presented to a customer can be based on the customer&#39;s current or previous product selection(s) or purchase history.

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/152,905, filed Sep. 14, 1998, which is hereby incorporatedby reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to vending machines, and moreparticularly, to a method and apparatus for encouraging vending machinecustomers to review a marketing promotion or to participate in a surveywhile making a purchase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Customers are frequently inundated with unsolicited marketing promotionsand attempts to solicit responses regarding their preferences oropinions in the form of a survey. Marketers are constantly searching fornew techniques and promotions for encouraging customers to respond tosuch marketing promotions and surveys. For example, marketers frequentlyreward a prospective customer for reviewing a marketing promotion or forresponding to a survey. While a number of marketers have successfullyencouraged customers to participate in such marketing efforts, manycustomers nonetheless ignore such marketing efforts in view of theirbusy schedules, and the overwhelming number of similar marketingpromotions to which they are exposed.

Frequently, the marketer and the prospective customer meet in aface-to-face environment. Thus, the reward can be offered and accepted,and the marketing promotion or survey can be implemented, as part of thesame transaction. Increasingly, however, marketers are utilizingtechniques which do not depend on face-to-face interaction, such aspromotions delivered by means of a telemarketer, or techniques whicheliminate a live person entirely, for example, where the marketingpromotion is delivered by (or solicits responses using) an interactivevoice response unit (IVRU) or a stand-alone kiosk.

Although the elimination of a live person from many marketing promotionshas undoubtedly reduced costs, there have been a number of negativeimplications as well. For example, the absence of a live person makes itmore difficult for the marketer to efficiently reward the prospectivecustomer for participating in the marketing effort. In addition, withoutthe pressure of a live person to encourage customer participation, manypeople find it easier to decline to participate in the marketingpromotion. Furthermore, without the presence of a live person, there isno guarantee that an unscrupulous user will not use the systemrepeatedly, for example, until a prize is awarded, or to influence theresults of a survey. Finally, when a marketing promotion is delivered byan interactive voice response unit (IVRU) or a stand-alone kiosk, inexchange for a reward, there is no guarantee that the customer is evenpaying attention.

The problems and costs associated with current methods for encouragingparticipation in a marketing promotion are not limited to marketers.Even from the customer's point of view, conventional techniques areunsatisfactory. Many customers are frustrated from participating inmarketing efforts because promotional rewards cannot be suppliedinstantly. Rather, customers are often required to wait whilepromotional rewards are sent to them, usually via mail. In fact, if theincentives associated with participation were offered at times whencustomer could instantly realize the benefits of their earned reward,customers would be more likely to participate.

As apparent from the above deficiencies with conventional attempts toencourage customer participation in marketing efforts, a need exists fora method and system that allows a marketer to more efficiently andeffectively deliver marketing promotions and solicit responses fromcustomers about preferences or opinions. A further need exists for asystem that rewards customers at a time when the customer is likely tobe receptive. Yet another need exists for a vending machine thateffectively utilizes time spent by a customer waiting for a vendingmachine transaction to be completed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, according to one aspect of the invention, a vending machinemethod and apparatus are disclosed for encouraging vending machinecustomers to review a marketing promotion or to participate in a surveywhile making a purchase. According to another aspect of the invention,customers are immediately rewarded for providing responses about theirpreferences or opinions, or about the marketing promotion that waspreviously presented.

The present invention solves the above-identified problems by permittingcustomers to participate in a marketing promotion while making apurchase at a vending machine, and to receive a reward for suchparticipation. The present invention recognizes that customers making apurchase at a vending machine are “captive audiences” for marketingopportunities.

Customers are rewarded for providing responses about their preferencesor opinions in the form of a survey, or for reviewing a marketingpromotion and correctly answering a question about the promotion. Thereward may be, for example, a supplementary product, a discount on thecustomer's current purchase or a subsequent purchase, or a rebate.Another aspect of the invention ensures that the vending machinecontains sufficient currency and products to meet the requirements ofall active offers. In one implementation, the vending machineperiodically or intermittently adjusts the “active” status of eachreward offer to ensure that the vending machine contains a sufficientamount of each currency type for an active currency-based reward and asufficient inventory of each product for an active product-based reward.

Another aspect of the invention ensures that buyers are committed tomaking a purchase, before offering a reward to a customer. Thus, thepresent invention discourages an unscrupulous customer from repeatedlycollecting rewards or influencing the results of a survey without makinga purchase. The actual marketing promotion presented to a customer canbe based on the customer's current or previous product selection(s) orpurchase history.

A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well asfurther features and advantages of the present invention, will beobtained by reference to the following detailed description anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vending machine in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the vending machine ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a table illustrating the inventory management database of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a table illustrating the currency storage database of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating the offer rules database of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating the offer content database of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating the customer response database of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 8A and 8B, collectively, are a flowchart describing an exemplaryoffer registration process implemented by the vending machine of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 9A through 9C, collectively, are a flowchart describing anexemplary offer management process implemented by the vending machine ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart describing an exemplary currency-based offerverification process implemented by the vending machine of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart describing an exemplary product-based offerverification process implemented by the vending machine of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Vending machines are well known devices employed at various locations tostore and dispense a vast array of merchandise, including beverages,snacks, video tapes and children's toys, in response to a customerrequest and appropriate payment. Vending machines provide numerousbenefits to customers and operators alike. Vending machines typicallyprovide customers with the convenience of self-service and twentyfour-hour access. Likewise, operators benefit from the ability ofvending machines to make automated sales of merchandise to customers,often at unconventional locations and times of day, without substantiallabor costs. In addition, vending machines provide a convenientmechanism for product manufacturers to introduce and test new products.The benefits of vending machines to each level of the chain of commercewill continue to encourage their utilization by customers, operators andproduct manufacturers alike. However, the time that customers spend at avending machine making a selection, providing payment and receiving aselected product, has not been effectively utilized. Applicants haverecognized that such customer time may be utilized to participate in amarketing promotion, as described below.

A vending machine 100 in accordance with the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 1 (perspective view) and FIG. 2 (schematic blockdiagram). As used herein, the term “vending machine” refers to anyautomatic sales machine that allows payment to be exchanged for goodssuch as food products dispensed from snack or beverage machines, pubcurrency dispensed from automatic teller machines (ATMs), coinsdispensed from pay telephones or slot machines, or the like. Accordingto a feature of the present invention, the vending machine 100encourages customer participation in marketing promotions presented bythe vending machine 100. The term “marketing promotion” includes,without limitation, traditional advertising and attempts by marketers tosolicit responses from customers regarding their preferences or opinionsin the form of a survey. When a vending machine is embodied as a publictelephone, the public telephone can administer the questions while beingconnected, for example, to a central server. Questions can be presentedto a customer using an interactive voice response unit (IVRU) andanswers can be obtained from the customer using voice recognitiontechnology or keypad entry.

The vending machine 100 provides an immediate reward to the customer forparticipation in marketing promotions. In one embodiment, customers arerewarded for providing responses about their preferences or opinions inthe form of a survey. In another embodiment, customers review amarketing promotion, and are then rewarded for correctly answering aquestion about the promotion.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the vendingmachine 100 ensures that buyers are committed to making a purchase byrequiring the receipt of payment for a product before offering a rewardto a customer. In this manner, unscrupulous customers are discouragedfrom repeatedly collecting rewards without first making a purchase.Thus, the present invention facilitates the cost-effective distributionof rewards. In addition, unscrupulous customers are discouraged fromrepeatedly attempting to influence the results of a survey. Thus, thepresent invention increases the integrity of marketing surveys.Furthermore, the actual marketing promotion presented to the customercan be based on the customer's current or previous product selection(s)or purchase history.

The present invention contemplates the distribution of various types ofrewards, including a supplementary product, a discount on a subsequentpurchase, or a rebate for the customer's current purchase. In accordancewith the present invention, product-based rewards can be dispensed usingthe item dispensers of the vending machine 100 and currency-basedrewards can be awarded using the change dispenser of the vending machine100. In one implementation, a third party desiring to perform a surveycan subsidize the cost of the survey reward, in exchange for the surveyresults. Thus, currency-based and discount-based rewards can be said tosubsidize the customer's purchase.

According to another feature of the present invention, the vendingmachine 100 ensures that the vending machine 100 contains sufficientcurrency and products to meet the requirements of all active offers, asdiscussed below. In one illustrative implementation, the vending machine100 periodically or intermittently adjusts the “active” status of eachreward offer to ensure that a vending machine 100 contains a sufficientamount of each currency type for currency-based rewards and a sufficientinventory of each product for product-based rewards, corresponding toeach “active” offer.

The vending machine 100 may be embodied using conventional hardware andsoftware, such as Vendo Model 392140004, commercially available fromVendo, Inc., of Fresno, Calif., as modified herein to carry out thefunctions and operations described below. Generally, vending machine 100includes an input device 110 for receiving input from a customerincluding a product selection and an answer to one or more marketingquestions. In addition, input device 110 may be used for receiving inputfrom an operator during stocking or maintenance of the vending machine100. Although input device 110 is illustrated as including a set ofalpha-numeric keys for providing input to vending machine 100, inputdevice 110 could include a selector dial, a set of buttons associatedwith a respective set of item dispensers, a microphone input to a speechrecognition device, or any other input device commonly employed by avending machine designer. In addition, vending machine 100 may includemore than one input device 110. For example, vending machine 100 mayinclude an exterior input device 110 for receiving customer input and aninterior input device (not shown) for receiving operator input.

In addition, a vending machine, such as vending machine 100, typicallyincludes several mechanisms for receiving payment and dispensing change,including a card reader 120, a coin acceptor 125, a bill validator 130,and a change dispenser 135. The card reader 120 may be embodied as aconventional reader for reading data from a credit, debit or chip-based“smart” card or other stored value card, and it may cooperate withconventional remote point-of-sale credit card processing equipment (notshown) to validate card-based purchases through a conventional cardauthorization network. Customer information obtained by the card reader120 can be used in conjunction with a customer database (not shown), forexample, to select an appropriate marketing promotion based on acustomer's purchase history. Coin acceptor 125, bill validator 130, andchange dispenser 135 communicate with a currency storage apparatus 140and may each be conventional devices such as models AE-2400, MC5000 orTRC200, commercially available from Mars Electronics, Inc., of WestChester, Pa. or model 9300-L, commercially available from CoinAcceptors, Inc., of St. Louis, Mo. Coin acceptor 125 and bill validator130 receive and validate currency that is stored by currency storageapparatus 140. Of course, two or more of the card reader 120, coinacceptor 125, bill validator 130, change dispenser 135 and currencystorage apparatus 140 can be integrated in a single device. The coinacceptor 125 and bill validator 130 can include analog-to-digital dataconversion so that currency data can be digitized and stored. In thismanner, as discussed below, the vending machine 100 can ensure that ithas a sufficient amount of each currency type for all active offershaving currency-based rewards.

Generally, card reader 120, coin acceptor 125, bill validator 130, andchange dispenser 135 communicate with, and are controlled by, a CPU 175.A communication port 180 is optionally provided for establishingcommunications between the vending machine 100 and a central server (notshown) or one or more additional vending machines 100 via a network (notshown). In this manner, a plurality of vending machines can be managedremotely to process and store data associated with surveys and marketingpromotions.

The CPU 175 also communicates with one or more item dispensers 160-161and one or more displays 150-151 for presenting product information andvarious marketing promotions to customers. Displays 150-151 may beembodied, for example, as a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) or a lightemitting diode (“LED”) display. Display 150-151 may provide a staticmessage, a scrolling message or a motion video so as to provideextensive product and promotional information using a relatively smalldisplay area. Display 150-151 may also optionally present productselection information, such as “Selection A1=Diet Cola.” The CPU 175 mayactivate item dispensers 160-161 after a customer has purchased an item,causing the item to be transferred to a receptacle (not shown). In analternate implementation, the display 150-151 can be substituted withany known output device including, for example, audio speakers.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vending machine 100 also includes a data storagedevice 170. As discussed further below in conjunction with FIGS. 3through 7, the data storage device 170 includes an inventory managementdatabase 300, a currency storage database 400, an offer rules database500, an offer content database 600 and a customer response database 700.Generally, the inventory management database 300 stores information onthe available inventory and price of each product sold by the respectivevending machine 100. The currency storage database 400 storesinformation on the quantity of each currency type currently available inthe vending machine 100. The offer rules database 500 stores criteriainformation that determines whether a customer should be offered aparticular reward for his or her participation in a marketing promotion.The offer content database 600 contains the marketing promotion andrelated information associated with each offer. The customer responsedatabase 700 stores information including the different responses thatcustomers provide to questions asked in connection with a marketingpromotion. The customer response database 700 may also record thelocation of the vending machine 100, or demographic information obtainedabout the purchaser, for example, from a customer database (not shown).

In addition, as discussed further below in conjunction with FIGS. 8through 11, the data storage device 170 includes processing instructionsfor executing an offer registration process 800, an offer managementprocess 900, a currency-based offer verification process 1000 and aproduct-based offer verification process 1100. Generally, the offerregistration process 800 facilitates the entry of new offers by anoperator of vending machine 100. The offer management process 900communicates and administers the offering of rewards to customers at thetime of the transaction. The currency-based offer verification process1000 adjusts the “active” status of each offer to ensure that a vendingmachine 100 contains a sufficient amount of each currency type forcurrency-based rewards corresponding to each “active” offer. Theproduct-based offer verification process 1100 adjusts the “active”status of each offer to ensure that a vending machine 100 contains asufficient inventory of each product for product-based rewardscorresponding to each “active” offer.

Databases

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the tabularillustrations and accompanying descriptions of the databases 300, 400,500, 600, 700 presented herein are exemplary arrangements for storedrepresentations of information to illustrate the principles of theinvention. A number of other arrangements and informational content maybe employed, as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in theart.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inventory management database 300 typicallyincludes a plurality of records, such as records 305, 310, 315 and 320,each associated with a different product. For each product identified byan item dispenser identifier in field 330, the inventory managementdatabase 300 includes a description of the product in field 335, andindicates the available inventory and price of the product in fields 340and 345, respectively. As discussed further below, the inventorymanagement database 300 is queried each time a customer selects an itemto purchase, to determine if the customer has deposited enough currencyto purchase the selected item. In addition, the inventory managementdatabase 300 is queried to verify that there is sufficient inventory tofulfill a request. After each purchase of an item, the availableinventory field 340 may be updated so that the vending machine 100 doesnot make offers to award certain products that are below a predefinedinventory level. For example, the vending machine 100 may offer a freetrial sample of a given new product unless there are less than 5 suchproducts remaining in the inventory of the vending machine 100.

Referring to FIG. 4, the currency storage database 400 maintains aplurality of records, such as records 405, 410 and 415, each associatedwith a different currency type. For each currency type identified infield 430, the currency storage database 400 indicates the currentquantity available in the vending machine 100. The currency storagedatabase 400 may be updated each time currency is deposited into ordispensed out of the vending machine 100. If the vending machine 100does not contain sufficient currency to make an offer that has anassociated currency reward, the vending machine 100 will temporarilysuspend the offer by setting the offer status to “inactive” in the offerrules database 500 (discussed below).

Referring to FIG. 5, the offer rules database 500 maintains a pluralityof records, such as records 510 and 515, each associated with adifferent offer. For each offer identified in field 530, the offer rulesdatabase 500 indicates the criteria in field 535 that must be satisfiedbefore the offer may be extended to a customer, as well as the offerstatus and offer type in fields 540 and 545, respectively. In addition,for each offer, the offer rules database 500 includes the message thatis presented to the customer in field 550, and the corresponding rewardtype and reward description in fields 555 and 560, respectively. Theoffer rules database 500 stores criteria information that determineswhether a customer should be extended a particular offer andcorresponding reward for his or her participation in a marketingpromotion. It is noted that the criteria recorded in field 535 allowsthe purchase of different products to trigger different survey questionsor marketing promotions.

Referring to FIG. 6, the offer content database 600 maintains aplurality of records, such as records 605 and 610, each associated witha different offer. For each offer identified in field 630, the offercontent database 600 indicates the offer type in field 635 and thecontent of the offer in field 640. In addition, the offer contentdatabase 600 specifies the question associated with the offer in field645, with the possible response and correct response set forth in fields650 and 655, respectively. The content field 640 is used in the“marketing promotion” embodiment to store the actual “sales pitch”content data. Alternatively, the content field 640 may store a pointerto a file within the data storage device 170 that stores the actual“sales pitch” content data to be presented to the customer, as set forthin record 610. The question recorded in field 645 may be an attempt tosolicit responses regarding customer preferences in connection with asurvey (record 605), such as questions regarding alternative locationsfor additional vending machines or alternative products for a givenvending machine, or a question regarding a presented “sales pitch” toconfirm that the customer was paying attention (record 610). The correctresponse field 655 records the correct response that must be provided bythe customer to confirm that the customer paid attention to the “salespitch.”

Referring to FIG. 7, the customer response database 700 maintains aplurality of records, such as records 705 and 710, each associated witha different customer response. For each response, the customer responsedatabase 700 indicates the associated offer in field 730, as well as thedate and time of the offer and the actual response in fields 735 and740, respectively. The responses stored in the customer responsedatabase 700 allow operators and product manufacturers to evaluate theeffectiveness of a marketing promotion and to obtain information aboutcustomer preferences or opinions. Since marketing data is oftenconsidered to be sensitive information, the customer response database700 is preferably stored in a secure portion of the data storage device170. In one embodiment, an operator must enter a personal identificationnumber (PIN) or other password to access the data contained in thecustomer response database 700.

Processes

As previously indicated, an offer registration process 800, shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B, facilitates the entry of new offers by an operator ofvending machines. The offer registration process 800 can be executedremotely, for example, from a central server (not shown) or by anoperator when a vending machine 100 is restocked. The offer registrationprocess 800 initially receives a request from an operator during step804 to adjust the inventory of a vending machine 100. The operator'sauthentication is verified during step 808, before the item identifiersand corresponding inventory data (including available inventory andprice) are received during step 812. It is noted that the itemidentifiers and corresponding inventory data could also be obtainedautomatically, for example, using bar code scanners and product sensorsin the vending machine 100, or by “uploading” data, for example, from ahand-held personal data assistant (PDA), to vending machine 100 using aconventional or wireless communication channel, such as an infraredchannel.

The item identifiers and corresponding inventory data are stored in theinventory management database 300 during step 816. According to theoffer registration process 800, the vending machine 100 receives arequest during step 820 to enter a new record corresponding to a newoffer in the offer rules database 500 and offer content database 600.The data corresponding to the new offer is received during step 824,including an offer identifier, an offer type, an offer message,associated content (if applicable), question, possible answer choices,correct answer choice (if applicable), reward type and rewarddescription.

The reward type corresponding to the new record is determined duringstep 828 (FIG. 8B), before a test is performed during step 832 todetermine if all conditions necessary to fulfill the reward are met. Ifit is determined during step 832 that all conditions necessary tofulfill the reward are not met, an appropriate message is output to theoperator during step 836. For example, if a vending machine 100 does notcontain sufficient currency for currency-based rewards, or sufficientproduct inventory for product-based rewards, messages of “insufficientcurrency to fulfill reward” or “insufficient product to fulfill reward”should be displayed to the operator, respectively. The operator mayoptionally be given an opportunity to correct the conditions necessaryto fulfill the reward. It is noted that after offers are initiallyentered in the databases 500 and 600, the currency-based offerverification process 1000 and product-based offer verification process1100 are periodically or intermittently executed to ensure that thevending machine 100 contains sufficient currency and products to meetthe requirements of all active offers, as discussed below.

If, however, it is determined during step 832 that all conditionsnecessary to fulfill the reward are met, then the offer data is storedin new records of the offer rules database 500 and offer contentdatabase 600, as appropriate, during step 840. The offer status in theoffer status field 540 of the offer rules database 500 is set to“active” during step 844. The operator is then prompted to enter thenext offer data record during step 852.

A test is performed during step 856 to determine if the operator wishesto enter another record. If it is determined during step 856 that theoperator wishes to enter another record, then program control returnsduring step 860 to step 824, and continues in the manner describedabove. If, however, it is determined during step 856 that the operatordoes not wish to enter another record, then program control terminatesduring step 870.

As previously indicated, an offer management process 900, shown in FIGS.9A through 9C, communicates and administers the offering of rewards tocustomers at the point-of-sale. The offer management process 900initially receives payment and an item selection from a customer viainput device 110 during step 904. Thereafter, the offer managementprocess 900 retrieves available inventory corresponding to the selecteditem from the inventory management database 300 during step 908.

A test is performed during step 912 to determine if sufficient inventoryexists in the vending machine 100 to dispense the selected item. If itis determined during step 912 that sufficient inventory does not existto dispense the selected item, then the transaction is processed in aconventional manner during step 916. If, however, it is determinedduring step 912 that sufficient inventory exists in the vending machine100 to dispense the selected item, then the price corresponding to theselected item is retrieved from field 345 of the inventory managementdatabase 300 during step 920.

A test is performed during step 924 to determine if the payment receivedfrom the customer is greater than or equal to the price retrieved fromthe inventory management database 300. If it is determined during step924 that the payment received is not sufficient, then the transaction isprocessed in a conventional manner during step 916. If, however, it isdetermined during step 924 that the payment received is sufficient, thenthe offer management process 900 searches the offer rules database 500during step 928 for an offer having criteria satisfied by the currenttransaction.

A test is performed during step 932 (FIG. 9B) to determine if an activeoffer record exists in the offer rules database 500 having criteriasatisfied by the current transaction. If it is determined during step932 that an active offer record does not exist in the offer rulesdatabase 500 having criteria satisfied by the current transaction, thenthe transaction is processed in a conventional manner during step 936.If, however, it is determined during step 932 that an active offerrecord exists in the offer rules database 500 having criteria satisfiedby the current transaction, then the offer message is retrieved fromfield 550 of the offer rules database 500 during step 940 and outputusing the output device 150-151 during step 944.

A test is performed during step 948 to determine if the offer isaccepted by the customer. If it is determined during step 948 that theoffer is not accepted by the customer, then the transaction is processedin a conventional manner during step 936. If, however, it is determinedduring step 948 that the offer is accepted by the customer, then thecontent of the offer is output to the customer from the appropriaterecord of the offer content database 600 (if applicable) during step952.

Thereafter, a question and possible answers are provided to the customerduring step 956 (FIG. 9C) from the question field 645 of the offercontent database 600. The customer response is received during step 960via the input device 110. A test is performed during step 964 todetermine if the offer type is a “survey.” If it is determined duringstep 964 that the offer type is not a “survey,” then the receivedcustomer response is compared during step 968 to the correct responsestored in field 655 of the offer content database 600.

A test is performed during step 972 to determine if the received answerchoice was correct. If it is determined during step 972 that thereceived answer choice was not correct, then it is assumed that thecustomer did not pay attention to the marketing promotion, and programcontrol terminates. If, however, it is determined during step 972 thatthe received answer choice was correct, then the reward type isretrieved from field 555 of the offer rules database 500 during step976, the reward is fulfilled during step 980, and the product isdispensed during step 984, before program control terminates during step996.

If, however, it is determined during step 964 that the offer type is a“survey,” then the indicated answer choice is stored in a new record ofthe customer response database 700, during step 990, together with anoffer identifier and the date and time of the response (obtained, forexample, from a system clock, not shown). Thereafter, the reward type isretrieved from field 555 of the offer rules database 500 during step976, the reward is fulfilled during step 980, and the product isdispensed during step 984, before program control terminates. It isnoted that a product reward can be dispensed using the item dispensers160-161, a cash rebate can be awarded using the change dispenser 135 anda product discount can be applied to the current purchase or asubsequent purchase.

As previously indicated, the currency-based offer verification process1000, shown in FIG. 10, is periodically or intermittently executed toadjust the “active” status of each offer to ensure that a vendingmachine 100 contains a sufficient amount of each currency type forcurrency-based rewards corresponding to each “active” offer.Alternatively, the currency-based offer verification process 1000 can beexecuted by the offer management process 900 at the time of eachpurchase to determine the instantaneous currency status before any offeris extended to a customer. As shown in FIG. 10, the currency-based offerverification process 1000 initially identifies a record in the offerrules database 500 during step 1010 having a “currency rebate” rewardtype in the reward type field 555.

The rebate amount is retrieved from field 560 of the offer rulesdatabase 500 during step 1020, and the currency combination(s) necessaryto fulfill the reward is determined during step 1030. For each necessarycurrency type, the current count is retrieved from field 435 of thecurrency storage database 400 during step 1040.

A test is performed during step 1050 to determine if there is asufficient count of necessary currency type(s) to fulfill the reward. Ifit is determined during step 1050 that there is a sufficient count ofnecessary currency type(s) to fulfill the reward, then program controlterminates during step 1070. If, however, it is determined during step1050 that there is not a sufficient count of necessary currency type(s)to fulfill the reward, then the offer status in field 540 of the offerrules database 500 is set to “inactive” during step 1060, before programcontrol terminates during step 1070. In this manner, the inactive offerwill not be communicated to customers.

In implementations where the vending machines are embodied, for example,as public telephones, automated teller machines (ATMs) or slot machines,the currency-based offer verification process 1000 ensures that offersare only presented to customers of such public telephones, ATMs or slotmachines having sufficient currency or casino chips to dispense theappropriate reward.

As previously indicated, the product-based offer verification process1100, shown in FIG. 11, is periodically or intermittently executed toadjust the “active” status of each offer to ensure that a vendingmachine 100 contains a sufficient inventory of each product forproduct-based rewards corresponding to each “active” offer.Alternatively, the product-based offer verification process 1100 can beexecuted by the offer management process 900 at the time of eachpurchase to determine the instantaneous inventory status before anyoffer is extended to a subsequent customer. As shown in FIG. 11, theproduct-based offer verification process 1100 initially identifies arecord in the offer rules database 500 during step 1110 having a “freeproduct” reward type in the reward type field 555.

The product description, such as product name, is retrieved from field560 of the offer rules database 500 during step 1120, and the availableinventory of the product is retrieved during step 1130 from theavailable inventory field 340 of the inventory management database 300.A test is performed during step 1150 to determine if there is asufficient inventory of the product to fulfill the reward. If it isdetermined during step 1150 that there is sufficient inventory of theproduct to fulfill the reward, then program control terminates duringstep 1170. If, however, it is determined during step 1150 that there isnot a sufficient inventory of the product to fulfill the reward, thenthe offer status in field 540 of the offer rules database 500 is set to“inactive” during step 1160, before program control terminates duringstep 1170. In this manner, the inactive offer will not be communicatedto customers.

It is to be understood that the embodiments and variations shown anddescribed herein are merely illustrative of the principles of thisinvention and that various modifications may be implemented by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

We claim:
 1. A vending machine for dispensing a product to a customer,said vending machine comprising: an input device for receiving apurchase request for said product; an output device for presenting atleast one question to said customer in response to said purchaserequest; and an item dispenser for dispensing said product and a productreward to said customer for answering said question.
 2. The vendingmachine according to claim 1, wherein said output device comprises atleast one of a display, an audio speaker, a keypad and a microphone. 3.A vending machine for dispensing a product to a customer, said vendingmachine comprising: an input device for receiving a purchase request forsaid product; an output device for presenting at least one question tosaid customer in response to said purchase request; a currency dispenserfor providing a currency reward to said customer for answering saidquestion; and an item dispenser for dispensing said product.
 4. A methodfor dispensing a product in a vending machine to a customer, said methodcomprising the steps of: receiving a purchase request for said product;evaluating inventory data, said inventory data specifying a quantity ofa reward; presenting at least one question to said customer if saidinventory data indicates a sufficient quantity of said reward; receivingan answer to said question from said customer; providing said reward tosaid customer for answering said question; and dispensing said product.5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of presenting saidquestion is performed after said step of receiving a purchase request.6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of presenting saidquestion requires that said customer purchase said product before beingrewarded for answering said question.
 7. The method according to claim4, wherein said question queries said customer about an alternativelocation for said vending machine.
 8. The method according to claim 4,wherein said question queries said customer about alternative productsfor said vending machine.
 9. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising the step of storing said answer together with an indicationof a location of said vending machine.
 10. The method according to claim4, further comprising the step of storing said answer together withdemographic information about said customer.
 11. The method according toclaim 4, wherein said reward comprises the price of said product. 12.The method according to claim 4, wherein said reward comprises adiscount to the price of said product.
 13. The method according to claim4, wherein said reward comprises a second product.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 4, wherein said reward comprises a rebate.
 15. Themethod according to claim 4, further comprising the step of presenting amarketing promotion to said customer and wherein said question is aboutsaid marketing promotion.
 16. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising the step of comparing said received answer against at leastone correct answer.
 17. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising the step of comparing said received answer against apredefined set of correct answers.
 18. The method according to claim 17,further comprising the step of dispensing said reward if said receivedanswer is correct.
 19. The method according to claim 4, wherein saidpurchase request includes a product selection.
 20. The method accordingto claim 4, wherein said purchase request includes payment for saidproduct.
 21. A method of operating a vending machine, comprising thesteps of: generating an offer to provide a reward to a customer inexchange for participating in a marketing promotion; evaluatinginventory data, said inventory data specifying a quantity of a reward;and ensuring that said offer is not provided to said customer at avending machine unless said inventory data indicates a sufficientquantity of said reward.
 22. The method according to claim 21, whereinsaid ensuring step is performed when said customer purchases saidproduct.
 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said ensuringstep is performed periodically and independent of a purchase request.24. The method according to claim 21, wherein said ensuring step isperformed in a substantially continuous manner.
 25. An apparatuscomprising: a CPU; and a storage device coupled to the CPU, the storagedevice storing a program for controlling the CPU and the CPU operativewith the program to: receive a purchase request for said product;evaluate inventory data, said inventory data specifying a quantity of areward; present at least one question to said customer if said inventorydata indicates a sufficient quantity of said reward; receive an answerto said question from said customer; provide said reward to saidcustomer for answering said question; and dispense said product.
 26. Acomputer program product comprising: a medium readable by a computer,the computer readable medium having program code adapted to: receive apurchase request for said product; evaluate inventory data, saidinventory data specifying a quantity of a reward; present at least onequestion to said customer if said inventory data indicates a sufficientquantity of said reward; receive an answer to said question from saidcustomer; provide said reward to said customer for answering saidquestion; and dispense said product.
 27. A method for dispensing aproduct in a vending machine to a customer, said method comprising thesteps of: receiving a purchase request and a payment for said product;presenting at least one question to said customer in response to saidpayment; receiving an answer to said question from said customer;providing a reward to said customer for answering said question; andsending a signal to dispense said product.
 28. A vending machine fordispensing a product to a customer, said vending machine comprising:means for receiving a purchase request and a payment for said product;means for presenting at least one question to said customer in responseto said payment; means for receiving an answer to said question fromsaid customer; means for providing a reward to said customer foranswering said question; and means for sending a signal to dispense saidproduct.
 29. An article of manufacture comprising: a computer readablemedium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, saidcomputer readable program code means comprising: a step to receive apurchase request and a payment for said product; a step to present atleast one question to said customer in response to said payment; a stepto receive an answer to said question from said customer; a step toprovide a reward to said customer for answering said question; and astep to send a signal to dispense said product.
 30. A method fordispensing a product in a vending machine to a customer, said methodcomprising the steps of: receiving a purchase request for said product;presenting at least one question to said customer; receiving an answerto said question from said customer; providing a reward to said customerfor answering said question; and sending a signal to dispense saidproduct if said customer has answered said question.
 31. A vendingmachine for dispensing a product to a customer, said vending machinecomprising: means for receiving a purchase request for said product;means for presenting at least one question to said customer; means forreceiving an answer to said question from said customer; means forproviding a reward to said customer for answering said question; andmeans for sending a signal to dispense said product if said customer hasanswered said question.
 32. An article of manufacture comprising: acomputer readable medium having computer readable code means embodiedthereon, said computer readable program code means comprising: a step toreceive a purchase request for said product; a step to present at leastone question to said customer; a step to receive an answer to saidquestion from said customer; a step to provide a reward to said customerfor answering said question; and a step to send a signal to dispensesaid product if said customer has answered said question.
 33. A methodfor dispensing a product in a vending machine to a customer, said methodcomprising the steps of: receiving a purchase request and payment forsaid product; evaluating inventory data, said inventory data specifyinga quantity of a reward; presenting at least one question to saidcustomer if said inventory data indicates a sufficient quantity of saidreward; receiving an answer to said question from said customer;providing said reward to said customer for answering said question; andsending a signal to dispense said product.
 34. A method for dispensing aproduct in a vending machine to a customer, said method comprising thesteps of: receiving a purchase request for said product; presenting amarketing promotion to said customer based on said product; providing areward to said customer for reviewing said marketing promotion; andsending a signal to dispense said product.
 35. The method according toclaim 34, further comprising the step of presenting at least onequestion to said customer about said marketing promotion.
 36. The methodaccording to claim 35, further comprising the steps of (i) receiving ananswer to said question, (ii) comparing said received answer to at leastone correct answer and (iii) sending a signal to dispense said reward ifsaid received answer is correct.
 37. A method for dispensing a productin a vending machine to a customer, said method comprising the steps of:receiving a purchase request for said product; presenting at least onequestion to said customer based on said product; providing a reward tosaid customer for answering said question; and sending a signal todispense said product.